Originally Posted by
BOSTransplant
Originally Posted by
DrDiarrhea
Here is how the etiquette should work in a civilized society: Take the seat you are given, shut up, and don't bother anyone else. Oh, and don't travel with kids unless you are fleeing a dictatorial regime or relocating for good.
If we all did that, the issue of how to refuse wouldn't be a problem. If there were no kids, the problems of self entitled parents being separated from their crotch fruit and demanding strangers accommodate them would be rare indeed.
That's unnecessarily hostile, and this is coming from someone who is childfree and has every intention of remaining so.
Also, in my experience, seat poaching is much more commonly an issue with adult couples who want to sit together than it is with parents wanting to sit next to their children. I'm not familiar with the process, as it doesn't affect me at all, but I know there are all kinds of regulations about how a minor has to be seated next to a guardian unless he's unaccompanied or something. The gate agents can see all the tickets that belong to minors, so it's usually never an issue.
Oh and lastly, my father worked for Delta when I was young, so my brother and I grew up flying all the time, and we behaved just fine. There's nothing wrong with traveling with kids, as long as parents don't let them run wild in the airport or on the plane. Sure I've seen obnoxious children, but I've seen obnoxious adults, too, and I unfortunately can't stop them from flying either. I feel sorry for children who grow up never flying anywhere, because they're missing out on the invaluable experience of seeing other countries or remote parts of their own country.
Don't bother feeding the troll.